Hand-operated machines for cutting mat board used in picture framing are well known in the art. Generally, such machines include a base, to which may be mounted a clamping bar for holding the mat board in position thereupon during the cutting operation. In some forms, the clamping bar will have a shaft or rail supported upon it, which in turn serves to guide a cutting head or trolley across the workpiece. Since, in the usual case, the sight opening for the framed picture will be defined by beveled edges, the cutting heads have often been provided with two blade holders, one disposed to position a blade to cut perpendicularly with respect to the supporting surface, the other being disposed to position a second blade at an acute angle (typically, about 55 degrees) thereto.
The patent art with respect to machines and devices for cutting mat board and similar workpieces is quite voluminous. A fair representation thereof is believed to be constituted by the following United State Patents: Smith No. 228,686; Gaylord No. 491,307; Wheeler No. 513,851; McCall No. 570,180; Drinkaus No. 611,238; Gaffney No. 1,235,459; Williams No. 1,250,538; Buckingham No. 1,529,340; Simpson No. 1,897,534; Matthews 2,013,893; Smith 2,065,761; Tourneau No. 2,342,946; Carpenter No. 2,413,544; Schlitters No. 2,449,327; Pulsifer No. 2,581,602; Zelewsky No. 3,095,247; Eno No. 3,130,622; Shapiro No. 3,463,041; Ellerin No. 3,527,131; Hearns No. 3,543,627; Rogers No. 3,628,412; Decker No. 3,702,716; Rosetti No. 3,712,166; McBride No. 3,768,357; Martin No. 3,897,706; Kupersmith No. 3,903,767; Chaffin No. 3,953,086; Schwartz No. 3,964,360; Stowe No. 3,973,459; Logan No. 3,996,827; Jones No. 4,022,095; Meshulam No. 4,064,626; Ward No. 4,096,631; Larson No. 4,202,233; Rempel No. 4,413,542; Gelfand No. 4,440,055; Davis No. 4,503,612; Heathe No. 4,518,205; Bruns No. 4,570,516; and Sobel No. 4,590,834. Despite the activity indicated by the foregoing, the need remains for a high quality mat cutting machine which is capable of smooth and comfortable operation, to reliably and repeatedly produce cuts that are precisely rectilinear.
Accordingly, it is the broad object of the present invention to provide a novel mat cutting machine that is capable of producing both perpendicular and also bevel cuts in mat board, with a high degree of accuracy and without substantial deviation from strict rectilinearity.
It is a related object of the invention to provide such a machine wherein the cutting head is rigidly supported, and which yet affords smooth, comfortable, and facile operation, with ready adjustability to achieve ideal positioning of the bevel-side blade.
A further object of the invention is provide a machine having the foregoing features and advantages, in which the mat board can readily be positioned quickly and accurately so as to permit high volume production capability, which machine is also relatively economical and facile to manufacture and is attractive from an aesthetic standpoint.